I think One Size Fits All is pretty popular. Then again, I guess you could really consider all of FZ's albums to be underrated. You know, by the general public, that is. I mean, really he deserves a lot more adoration than he's really ever gotten. So, then, all of them.

Actually it's because I haven't heard much good about the album. Why do you think it's over-rated?

But it's a popular record. and it's one of these albums that gets recommended to the neophytes, although i'd sooner go with, say Hot Rats. I'd also say that the Underwoods-Fowlers band in 1973 was a lot better live at the time. Complex instrumentals, wicked solos and extended jams. and the comedy rock instincts are kept tightly on the leash. for every "Zombie Woof" you were given stuff like "Farther O'Blivion" and "Dog Breath Variations". Plus, Ian Underwood, rather underwhelmingly presented on the record, really branched it out on his wind instruments during his last tour with FZ, even going as far as adding bass clarinet to his arsenal. Then of course, Ponty called it a day because he hated the puerile and prurient vocal stuff, Ian Underwood quit and embarked a lucrative career of a session musician and a singer from a Top 40 soul band takes over. A slippery slope that did give us "Roxy and Elsewhere" but also enabled "Dinah Moe Humm" the entrance to the band's setlists.

First of all, this album is musically a lot more diverse than OS, which is even more blatantly homogenized than you expect Hot Rats to be.

Second of all, the lyrics have little to no sexual overtones at all. FZ instead creates fairly amusing tales and pretty spiffy word plays, and often offering some valid satire, such as against New Age crap on "Cosmik Debris".

Third, FZ' guitar tone is also more varied on it. On OS there's too much of the typical rock distortion on it that it gets grating and obnoxious. I like the use of clean guitar, particularly with the inventive Grand Wazoo/Hot Rats styled sound that occasionally pops up here and there (most obviously on the filtered solo on "Stink Foot"). He even uses bouzouki on "Excentrifugal Forz", i think.

and finally, but not least, unlike OS, (') at least has an instrumental on it! and a damned good one at that, the power trio line up on the title track offering a healthy dose of grit which is absent on the slickly produced OS.

Actually it's because I haven't heard much good about the album. Why do you think it's over-rated?

But it's a popular record. and it's one of these albums that gets recommended to the neophytes, although i'd sooner go with, say Hot Rats. I'd also say that the Underwoods-Fowlers band in 1973 was a lot better live at the time. Complex instrumentals, wicked solos and extended jams. and the comedy rock instincts are kept tightly on the leash. for every "Zombie Woof" you were given stuff like "Farther O'Blivion" and "Dog Breath Variations". Plus, Ian Underwood, rather underwhelmingly presented on the record, really branched it out on his wind instruments during his last tour with FZ, even going as far as adding bass clarinet to his arsenal. Then of course, Ponty called it a day because he hated the puerile and prurient vocal stuff, Ian Underwood quit and embarked a lucrative career of a session musician and a singer from a Top 40 soul band takes over. A slippery slope that did give us "Roxy and Elsewhere" but also enabled "Dinah Moe Humm" the entrance to the band's setlists.

It seems now that you're comparing live performances to studio performances, which are two completely different things.

I think you are proving my point. OS may be a popular record that is recommended to neophytes (doesn't necessarily mean it's over-rated) but since I've been here on the forum I've read quite a few negative comments about it. Similar to the comments you made about Zomby Woof and Dinah-Moe Humm.

I like Zomby Woof and I believe it has some complexity, same with Montana. One thing that strikes me about the album is how perfect it is from an arrangement and execution standpoint. Same with Apostrophe. These aren't your average early 70's Rock records. You just don't hear arrangements and performances like this from anyone but FZ.

Maybe Frank was "holding back" on OS, but I still think it turned out to be a great album even if he was.

_________________Some folks got it,
some folks don't,
some so yoogly,
they never won't

Even the worst FZ record is better than much of mainstream pop crap, that's certainly true.

But if we measure all of his albums by his standards alone, then some happen to be simply better than others. Such as the Grand Wazoo. OS can't even hold a candle to that masterpiece. that's why i dissed Zomby Woof, because for me it's inferior to the similar sounding "Cletus Awreetus Awrightus". And none of the subsequent versions by later bands are anything spectacular either. This whole number is just pretentious and all-wank-but-no-feeling type composition. In fact, the entire song perfectly embodies the typical anti-Zappa (post-MOI that is) stereotype i otherwise have my reservations about: unlistenable prog jazz wankoff with schoolboy toilet humor thrown in for comic "relief". Listen to "Echidna's Arf" and "Don't You Ever wash that thing" (real involving complex music) and accept no substitutes.

First of all, this album is musically a lot more diverse than OS, which is even more blatantly homogenized than you expect Hot Rats to be.

I don't follow. Hot Rats is a very colorful album, I don't see why anyone with an open mind would expect it to be homogenized in anyway.

Aybe Sea wrote:

Second of all, the lyrics have little to no sexual overtones at all. FZ instead creates fairly amusing tales and pretty spiffy word plays, and often offering some valid satire, such as against New Age crap on "Cosmik Debris".

Other than that whole 'stroked his smock' thing, yeah, I agree. But the concept of Over-Nite Sensation..It seems like Zappa very knowingly made it a hit, and henceforth included lyrics following that concept. Camarillo, Dirty Love, Dynamo (Dynamo and Dirty Love especially) are a revelation of what all those guys on the radio when singing about 'love' and such REALLY want. 50/50 is Zappa's statement to the fans that must have come along with the album. "I'm not safe, but if you're brave, come on." Then Zomby and Montana are the two 'complex' things on the album, to counteract...give them a taste of what more to expect. They're still much more conventional then much of his stuff, but it's pretty out there regardless.

Aybe Sea wrote:

Third, FZ' guitar tone is also more varied on it. On OS there's too much of the typical rock distortion on it that it gets grating and obnoxious. I like the use of clean guitar, particularly with the inventive Grand Wazoo/Hot Rats styled sound that occasionally pops up here and there (most obviously on the filtered solo on "Stink Foot"). He even uses bouzouki on "Excentrifugal Forz", i think.

Definatley a point for Apostrophe..no arguing here. They're all great solos, but Apostrophe wins for sheer variety (I personally like all the OS solos more, but to each his own)

Aybe Sea wrote:

and finally, but not least, unlike OS, (') at least has an instrumental on it! and a damned good one at that, the power trio line up on the title track offering a healthy dose of grit which is absent on the slickly produced OS.

'Apostrophe' as a track is one of the only Zappa instrumentals I don't like. It's boring..it's a very basic jam, I think. The solo's are good, but..the track just sort of appears than dissappears.

Aybe Sea wrote:

But if we measure all of his albums by his standards alone, then some happen to be simply better than others. Such as the Grand Wazoo. OS can't even hold a candle to that masterpiece. that's why i dissed Zomby Woof, because for me it's inferior to the similar sounding "Cletus Awreetus Awrightus". And none of the subsequent versions by later bands are anything spectacular either. This whole number is just pretentious and all-wank-but-no-feeling type composition. Listen to "Echidna's Arf" and "Don't You Ever wash that thing" (real involving complex music) and accept no substitutes.

When I think of 'Wank no feeling', I'm immediatley reminded of the Mahavishnu Orchestra's 'Awakening', the last track on their first album.
On the other hand, I think all the voices on Zomby Woof are hilarious (Which saves it from being pretentious as a song) and that the 'hard parts' groove very well. I'm not a dancing guy, but I could understand dancing to Zomby Woof.

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